PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday directed the social welfare secretary to produce a detailed report on issues related to street children, their welfare homes and the growing drug addiction in society, especially among children.

Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Ijaz Anwar also asked secretary Zulfiqar Ali Shah to produce details of the Faqirabad drug rehabilitation centre, including facilities provided to patients.

The court asked him to act as the focal person on those issues.

It issued the order during the hearing into different petitions on social welfare and human rights issues. The next hearing was fixed for Sept 22.

Asks secy to produce details of Faqirabad drug rehab centre including facilities

In one of the petitions, lawyer Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel challenged the involvement of poor children in begging and labour work and their sexual exploitation and sought the handing over of such children to child protection and welfare institutes.

He requested the court to issue directives to different government functionaries, including the KP chief secretary and inspector general of police, to initiate a crackdown on the vagrants, drug addicts and children at risk, who could be brought before the relevant court established under the law, and hand over the children at risk to the child protection institutions for their welfare.

He requested the court to direct the Child Protection and Welfare Commission (CPWC) through its chief protection officer to set up a complaint cell and a committee to rescue the children at risk according to the law and initiate awareness programme through print and electronic media.

Another petition is filed by advocate Malik Mohammad Ajmal against the increasing number of drug addicts on streets with the request for directions to federal and KP governments to take steps for the rehabilitation of drug addicts and prevent the supply of narcotics to them.

He also requested the court to direct the provincial government to prevent begging on streets and rehabilitate them especially children and women.

Similarly, another petition is filed by citizen Mohammad Naeem on the issue of the rehabilitation of drug addicts. He was represented by lawyer Noor Alam Khan.

During hearing, social welfare secretary Zulfiqar Ali Shah informed the bench that presently, around 1,100 children lived in ‘Zamong Kor’, a setup for the rehabilitation of street children and orphans.

He said the provincial government had also established a drug treatment and rehabilitation centre in Faqirabad area, where 111 drug addicts, including children, had been admitted.

The secretary said the government had also been establishing ‘Zamong Kor’ like setups in Swat, Bannu and Abbottabad, while Rs60 million would be earmarked for the welfare of such children in the forthcoming annual provincial budget.

The chief justice observed that those children should be imparted technical training so that they could become useful citizens.

The bench observed that if no step was taken for welfare of street children, they would become drug addicts and would be forced into begging.

Director at the human rights regional office Khalid Lateef informed the court that a countrywide survey was started by the government about street children and those involved in labour but the Covid-19 restrictions affected it.

He said when the situation improved, the survey would resume.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2021